longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈtüd-nəl 
-ˈtyüd-,
-ˈt(y)ü-dᵊn-əl,
British also ˌläŋ-gə-
1
: placed or running lengthwise
The insect's back is black with yellow longitudinal stripes.
2
: of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
the longitudinal extent of the building
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables
a longitudinal study of juvenile offenders over a period of five years
longitudinally
adverb
Examples of longitudinal in a Sentence
The insect's body is black with yellow longitudinal stripes.
calculating the longitudinal position of a ship
a longitudinal study of career aspirations among girls from 5 to 17
Recent Examples on the Web
Filmed over the course of 7 years, this longitudinal film reveals the intricacies and failures of the asylum system through the intimate journey of one case, serving as a sobering counterpoint to a hyper-politicized and widely misunderstood issue.
—
Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
This enables a more comprehensive, longitudinal understanding, leading to faster, deeper insights and more strategic decision-making.
—Tom Hughes, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Among other things, no large, longitudinal studies on the relationship between water fluoridation and IQ have been conducted in the United States.
—Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
In order to make this hypothesis, Branch assembled data from longitudinal studies and old whaling records.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longitudinal
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Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
This enables a more comprehensive, longitudinal understanding, leading to faster, deeper insights and more strategic decision-making.
—Tom Hughes, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Among other things, no large, longitudinal studies on the relationship between water fluoridation and IQ have been conducted in the United States.
—Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
In order to make this hypothesis, Branch assembled data from longitudinal studies and old whaling records.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longitudinal
Cite this Entry
“Longitudinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longitudinal. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-nəl
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of or relating to length
2
: placed or running lengthwise
longitudinally
adverb
-ē
Medical Definition
longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-ᵊn-əl, -nəl, British also ˌläŋ-gə-ˈtyüd-
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the lengthwise dimension
a longitudinal bone fracture
2
: extending along or relating to the anteroposterior axis of a body or part
a trypanosome which reproduces by longitudinal fission
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables (as general health, the state of a disease, or mortality)
a longitudinal study of heart transplant recipients over a five-year period
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